Forever Dawn
by Warriorcat890
Summary: When the Volturi come to Forks after being misinformed about Renesmee, Bella suddenly finds herself drawn to the Volturi leader, Caius. It's bad enough that her feelings are confusing, let alone the fact that Marcus claims that they are mates. Aro insists that Bella returns to Volterra with the rest of the Volturi. As time passes, the two seem to forage an extremely strong bond.
1. Chapter 1

_Forever Dawn - Chapter One_

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Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the title is hardly original, but I felt like it fit.

This is a CaiusXBella fic, and I will try not to do too much Edward bashing, but no promises. There may also be some Cullen bashing from the Voturi, but they won't be made out to be the bad guys or anything.

I don't own Twilight, the character, the world, or really the title, so... Yeah. XD

Let's dive right in, shall we?

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**Chapter One**

Dawn broke on the eastern horizon, the shining rays of the sun slanting across the snow, making the individual flakes glitter like miniature diamonds, along with my flawless, pale skin. I stood just outside the Cullen house, gazing in the direction of a massive clearing. I shivered involuntarily, but not from the cold. Today was the day I had been dreading for months. Today, the Volturi would arrive and try to take my beloved daughter, Renesmee, away from me. But I wouldn't let it happen. I would rather die than see anything happen to my little nudger.

My daughter was an absolute miracle. When I married Edward Cullen, I knew thought that I would never have children. A female vampire cannot become pregnant due to a myriad of reasons that Carlisle explained to me once, but I quickly forgot since most of that medical stuff was like gibberish to me. However, a female human can get pregnant by a male vampire apparently—as I found out most unexpectedly fourteen days after my wedding. But the moment I realized that I would become a mother, everything changed.

Never before in my life had I been so overjoyed.

However, I could not say the same for Edward, and the rest of our family. Naturally, they feared for my life, thinking that the child would kill me before I got a chance to deliver. Most of them understood that I wanted this baby—I loved this baby more than life itself—but Edward didn't. Edward saw that by having his child and knowing that I could die, I was choosing to leave him. It was a low thing for anyone—even him—to think. I can't imagine what might've happened if I gave in and let Edward abort it.

I suppose that then, we wouldn't be in the situation we had currently been in.

Lost in my own thoughts and memories, I didn't even hear her walk up. Her moves were so quiet, like a vampire, but her heart was strong and beat like a steady drum rhythm. "Mommy," Renesmee called quietly, taking my hand in hers. "Daddy and Grandpa are arguing in the house. Daddy looks really worried, and I know that you'll be the only person who can calm him down."

Turning my head to look down at my beautiful daughter, I gave her a warm smile. I didn't know how I managed it—my insides felt like they had been solidified to stone and were threatening to pull me down to the deepest pits of hell. I knelt down beside her and pushed a stray strand of bronze hair behind her ear. "Darling, why don't you go see Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett for a bit? I'm sure they'll be happy to see you. When Jacob and his friends come, you can go stand with them until Daddy and I come to get you."  
My beautiful daughter smiled a radiant smile and nodded. Renesmee rarely asked questions, and only did so when she truly didn't understand. She surprised all of us with the fact that she seemed to understand and comprehend our current predicament. She only looked seven or eight years old, and had only been born a few months before, yet she behaved like any other adult. I was more than proud to be her mother.

Renesmee planted a kiss on my cheek before rushing off to find Rosalie and Emmett. I watched her go for a few moments before turning back toward the house. I shot up the stairs and entered the living room. There stood my husband and father-in-law, appearing to be deep in conversation. When I entered, the both went silent and turned towards me. "Hello, Bella," Carlisle, my adoptive father greeted me. He shot a perfect, friendly smile my way before looking back to Edward.

My husband, even now with my new, vampire eyes, looked like some kind of god. He, like all vampires, looked absolutely perfect and angular—high cheekbones, a strong jawline, perfect eyebrows, a straight nose, full lips, about 6 foot, and a thin and lanky body that was muscular enough, untidy bronze hair, and eyes that looked like liquid gold. When I was human, I was dazzled by him, and I still did as a vampire. I could find no flaw inside him; he was perfect.

Edward's lips curled into a small smile. "Did Renesmee send you?" he asked knowingly. "I thought I saw you in her mind a few minutes ago."

I smiled weakly, but it quickly fell. It was harder to act happy in front of Edward. Plus, he saw through my charade. "Yes. She said that you and Carlisle were arguing and that you looked really worried."

Edward's eyes hardened slightly before looking at the man he always considered his father. Carlisle's eyes tightened as well, but he said nothing, clearly waiting for Edward to comment. I sighed impatiently and began to tap my foot. Being a vampire is like living in the fast-line, and patience is very hard to come by. "Well?" I prompted, folding my arms across my chest. "Does anyone care to tell me why my daughter thinks I need to console my husband? Don't you think I have a right to be informed?"

"Of course you do, Bella," Carlisle said quickly. He clasped his hands together gently letting out a long sigh through his nose. "Edward and I were just having a little… discussion about the witnesses. Edward believes that they should fight if that is what it comes down to… but I disagree. These people are my friends, and I don't want them to risk their lives, and the lives of their families for us."

Edward let out an annoyed grumble. "They agreed to fight if it came to that."

"Yes, but I don't want them to feel forced to do that. If they change their minds—"

"They won't!" Edward interjected.

Carlisle raised his hand for silence before continuing, "If they do, let them, Edward. This is not their fight."

Edward opened his jaws to disagree, but then closed them. He looked toward me with a tired expression. Carlisle looked between us before clearing his throat. "I'll… leave you two alone," he said softly before darting from the room.

The moment he was gone, Edward pulled me into his arms. "I can't bear the thought of losing your, or Renesmee," he murmured, burying his nose in my hair, inhaling my scent. I did the same to him, resting my cheek against his smooth, marble skin.

"Me either… If anything happened to you, or Renesmee, I swear…"

"Shh," Edward soothed before pressing his lips to my forehead. "It'll be alright, love… And Jacob will take care of Renesmee; he'd rather die than let anyone harm her."

"I know that," I answered, kissing his cheek in return. "I just… worry."

"We all do."

I rested against Edward, holding him close. We stayed like that for the longest time, entwined in each other's arms and enjoying the other for what could be the last time. Outside, I heard my daughter laugh as Emmett lifted her into the air onto his shoulders. Emmett's throaty laugh resounded through the trees as he ran around the house at vampire speed with little Renesmee on his shoulders. I smiled. At least she would be alright. After a few laps, I smelled the wolf pack approach, their strong, overpowering stench wafting through the air toward the house. I heard my daughter squeal in delight as she leapt from Emmett's shoulders and rushed to greet her Jacob.

Edward pulled away slowly so I wasn't taken by surprise. "We should… go," he whispered, as if fearing that if he spoke any louder that his voice would betray his agony. I rose my eyes to his and saw that his jaw was hard and his eyes were tight, trying to conceal emotion.

I gazed into his topaz eyes, unable to imagine how I looked at that moment. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And we kissed for what seemed like the last time.

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A/N: Did you like the chapter? Leave a review and let me know! Oh, and don't forget to follow and favorite if you wanna see more! :D


	2. Chapter 2

_Forever Dawn - Chapter Two_

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Caius is finally here! :D

I don't own Twilight, it's characters, the world in which it exists, or even this title.

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**Chapter Two**

We lined up in the clearing, the Cullens at the center, and the witnesses on the flanks. All of the wolves except Jacob hung back among the trees, waiting for orders. The giant, russet wolf stood near my family and I; I was on one side of Renesmee, and he was on the other. Between the two of us, no one would harm her. Edward stood on the other side of me, his arm on my waist protectively. Every now and then, he would glance toward Renesmee, as if to make sure she hadn't disappeared.

I knew that feeling.

My daughter held my hand tightly. Her tiny heart pounded, sending blood pulsing through her body, and making her hand throb in my touch. I knew she was terrified, and she had a right to be. No matter how much we all tried to assure her that nothing bad would happen to her, it was not a guarantee, and she knew that. At times like this, I wished she wasn't so smart.

They were coming; I could feel it. I turned to Jacob, and he turned to me at the same time. His dark brown eyes bore into mine as we exchanged a silent message. He stepped closer to Renesmee until his fur touched her. "Look after her," I whispered to him. "Keep her safe."

A moment later, their stench slapped me in the face. All heads snapped forward, and gazed anxiously as the opposite tree line. If my heart could still beat, it would have been pounding. Edward squeezed me slightly, pulling me closer, and Renesmee squeezed my hand. I heard the sound of footsteps on crisp snow as they reached the tree line. Immediately I began to focus, stretching my shield out across my family, the witnesses, and the wolf pack. I took deep, unneeded breaths just to calm myself down. I knew that they would now be protected from Jane and Alec's attacks, so I relaxed slightly.

The Volturi emerged from the trees like an army of demons. Their hoods were all pulled up and their dark cloaks billowed behind them in the slight breeze. Three large figures walked in front, wearing black cloaks. I knew who they were before I could see their faces: Aro, Marcus, and Caius, the three leaders. The rest of the Volturi followed behind, and they kept coming, and coming. They outnumbered us… by a lot. My confidence began to fade, and I felt my husband tense beside me.

The Volturi came to a sudden halt about fifty feet away. I could see them now: Aro was in the center with Marcus to his right and Caius to his left. The elite Volturi guard—Alec, Jane, Felix, Demetri, Chelsea, Afton, Santiago, and Renata all stood close to them. I looked at Jane and Alec—the witch twins—as they both scanned the crowd. Jane kept looking from person to person, getting angrier and angrier each time. I felt an unusual tingle against my shield as she struggled to inflict pain on my family and the witnesses. Her eyes finally rested on me.

Nothing.

I smirked.

"Carlisle," Aro began to speak, removing his hood. The rest of the guard followed Aro's lead and then remained eerily still, almost like an army of statues. "I am greatly saddened that it has come to this, old friend. We were once so close, but now you have assembled an army to go against me." His voice was laced with a false and dramatized pain as he stared at the blond vampire.

Carlisle went forward about ten feet, looking outwardly calm. I outstretched my shield so that he would still be protected from the Volturi's influences. I heard Jane hiss in frustration. "This isn't an army, my friend, simply witnesses. If we can avoid a fight, we will do whatever we can to do just that. The child that you came here to destroy is not the child you think she is. These witnesses can testify to that, if you'll hear them out. We can even prove it to you, if you're willing to listen to us."

Aro nodded, seeming to be civil enough at the moment. "Very well… but I wish to hear the story for someone who is… more closely involved… Edward," he spoke my husband's name with a sly, weasel-like tone. "Since the child clings to your newborn mate, I assume that you are involved."

Edward looked at me solemnly before leaving my side. I almost felt as if I were losing him as he walked across the snowy field toward our enemies. I stretched my shield out even farther, desperate to protect him. When he reached the three leaders, I saw Aro hold out a hand. Edward stood there for a moment, staring at the jet-black haired leader. Sighing, he took the older man's hand and allowed all of his thoughts to be become Aro's.

After a minute or two, Aro's head turned towards us. I felt Renesmee lean into me and Jacob and I both growled protectively. Aro cocked a curious eyebrow before turning back to Edward. "I'd like to meet her."

After what seemed like ages, Edward turned back to us, his face impassive. Jacob and I exchanged a glance before I looked down at Renesmee. My daughter's large, dark brown eyes were wide and alarmed as they stared up at me. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before leading her forward. Jacob followed—it was a given that he would tag along, Renesmee was his imprintee after all. But the party still felt incomplete; I wanted one more person to accompany us. I looked at the rest of my family and locked eyes with Emmett.

Perfect.

The tall, muscular vampire stepped forward, giving me a curt not. I returned it and closed the gap between us and the Volturi, Renesmee and Jacob at my side and Emmett following closely behind. Edward came to my side the moment I reached him, and placed his hand on the small of my back. I shifted closer to him.

"Ah," Aro sighed pleasantly. He looked me up and down, appraising me closely with his crimson eyes. "Young Bella… Immortality becomes you."

I struggled to keep my eyes from narrowing into a glare. I looked from Aro to the other three leaders. Marcus looked entirely uninterested, and was staring at an indeterminable speck on the ground. Caius, on the other hand, was gazing at me with a peculiar expression. For a moment, we locked eyes, and I felt as if my entire universe had shifted. Edward suddenly didn't matter anymore—the boy paled in comparison the light-blond-haired god that stood before me. Caius's eyes traveled over my body with a new expression that I never imagined I'd see on his face—desire?—before disappearing.

We both looked away awkwardly.

No one seemed to notice.

Aro now seemed to be absolutely focused on Renesmee. "Hello, little one," he greeted her, leaning down slightly.

Renesmee blinked at him with a curious expression. She looked up at me, silently asking for permission to approach. I nodded, and she walked toward him warily. Meanwhile, I kept my eyes on the rest of the Volturi to make sure none made a move to harm my little nudger. When I determined that it was safe, I couldn't help but allow myself to steal a glance at Caius.

"Hello, Aro," Renesmee said pleasantly before looking to Marcus. "Hello, Marcus." She then turned to the blond king. "Hello, Caius."

The cold Volturi leader's head snapped toward her, almost stunned that she had spoken to him directly. His lips curled upward in a disgusted snarl, but he said nothing.

Aro smiled warmly, holding out his hand for her to take, but Renesmee had other ideas. She stared at his hand for a moment before looking up to his face. She raised her own hand, and laid it on his cheek very softly. A few of the Volturi members gasped in surprise, clearly taken aback by her actions. I heard Caius let out a low growl, and, sickeningly, I didn't feel angry, or protective of Renesmee, but, instead, slightly aroused.

I hated myself for it.

Aro's eyes darted around, seeing, but not seeing. "_Magnifico…_" he breathed. A moment later, he pulled away. "Half mortal. Half immortal! Conceived and carried by this newborn while she was still human!" Aro exclaimed, smiling at me; his eyes shown with fascination and an emotion that, if I didn't know better, would have determined to be respect.

"That's impossible!" Caius declared, but stared at me curiously.

Edward just pulled me closer to him.

Aro rounded on his brother, his expression hardening. "Do you think that they fooled me, brother?" he demanded. His jaw was set and his eyes almost defensive. An urge that so unbelievably alien came upon me; all I wanted was to rush forward and throw myself between Aro and Caius. I wanted to protect the man that had come to kill my child…

What was happening to me?!

"Enough of this nonsense!" Marcus suddenly spoke. I turned, only to find that his eyes were resting directly on me. I watched him, and suddenly felt very self-conscious. I was just about to lean into Edward when a snarl ripped from my husband's chest.

"NO!" Edward shouted. "You're wrong!"

Everyone stared at Edward as if he'd gone mad. "Edward, what are you talking about?" I asked, turning toward him, taking his hand in mine.

His topaz eyes were still enraged when they met mine. "It's… nothing, Bella."

Extremely confused, I looked at Jacob, and then to Emmett to see if they had any idea what the hell was going on. They wore the same blank expressions I did. So, in a final effort, I looked to Aro, but he was already grasping Marcus's hand to find out what I was wondering. I opened my jaws to inquire, but Edward grasped me by the shoulders. Before I could ask if he truly had lost his mind, he yanked me toward him and kissed me with a fierce passion. His lips hungrily devoured mine, as if he'd forgotten that we were in public. I struggled to pull away, but he held me to him firmly.

A roar ripped from nearby, and Edward pulled away. Bewildered, I saw Caius standing there, his body trembling and eyes black. The Volturi leader stood toe-to-toe with Edward, both men glaring at the other with unmasked hatred.

"I think it's something," Aro commented, looking at the two of them with a somewhat amused expression.

"Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?!" I nearly shouted.

Edward whipped around and gathered me in his arms again. "You love, right, Bella?" he demanded, his voice somewhat harsh, almost demanding.

"Yes," I replied warily. "Edward what is going on!? For Christ's sake, answer me!"

Edward kissed me once more, and I finally deduced that he truly had lost his marbles. The moment I thought it, Edward was torn away from me. I gasped and fell to my knees, unsteady from the sudden loss of body contact. I looked up just in time to see Edward land on the other side of the clearing. Caius stood a few feet away, crouched like a lion prepared to spring. Once Edward hit the ground, he turned toward me, his black eyes suddenly soft. I blinked, terrified as he helped me to my feet.

What the hell?

"Is anyone going to tell me what is going on?"

"You and Caius seem to have a… very strong bond," Aro began delicately.

"What are you talking about, brother?" Caius hissed. He was still holding my arm. I felt as if my entire arm was burning with a pleasurable fire. I was surprised at how gentle his touch was. The fire spread throughout my body, and the more I looked at Caius, the more my feelings intensified. I wanted nothing more than to devour the man that stood before me.

That was… normal, right?

"Caius, you dare ask me that question?" Aro snickered. "You just threw this poor woman's husband across the clearing just because he kissed her!"

"It appears that you and young Bella are mates," Marcus said.

"What!?" I gasped.

I mean, yeah, Caius was attractive, but I loved Edward... Or at least I did… No, I did love Edward. I married him. I gave birth to his child. He and I had been through so much together. I couldn't ignore all of that now.

Renesmee tugged on my shirt sleeve, causing me to look at her. For the first time, my daughter looked confused. "Mommy, what are they talking about? You and Daddy love each other, right?"

"Of course we do, darling," I replied, kneeling down beside her. "This is probably just a Volturi trick." I wasn't sure it was, though. I couldn't deny the sudden, unwarranted feelings I was suddenly experiencing. I never felt like this around Edward.

"'A Volturi trick'?" Aro repeated. He sounded almost offended. "Bella, I am absolutely mortified that you think we would stoop that low!"

Ignoring him, I looked up at Jacob. "Take her back to the others," I murmured before shooting a glance at Emmett, indicating for him to go too. My brother-in-law nodded, but looked just as puzzled as I felt.

Jacob nudged my daughter back toward the others with his giant head. Renesmee went willingly, sticking close to the russet-furred wolf. I felt somewhat relieved; I knew that no matter what happened, she'd have Jacob to take care of her. When I turned back toward the Volturi leaders, I saw Edward get up out of the corner of my eye.

My husband got down into a crouch, his lips curled back in a fearsome snarl. "Bella is mine! She is my wife! I married her! I made love to her on our honeymoon, and many times after that! I had a child with her! Whatever you think you have is the blabbering of some old fool! Nothing will ever change what Bella and I have! Nothing!"

Caius let out a growl as well, crouching a second time. He looked particularly enraged when Edward mentioned the part about our love-making. If I was human, I would have gone as red as a lobster.

"It seems that this is no longer the trial of family being wrongly accused of creating an immortal child, but a dispute over who young Bella belongs to," Vladimir, one of the few surviving members of the Romanian coven, commented.

"Indeed," his coven-mate, Stefan agreed. "I thought that Volturi was supposed to uphold the law, not squabble over women."

Growls erupted from the Volturi guard, but Caius didn't seem to hear them. He hadn't responded to Edward's words, but hadn't moved from his stance either. He crouched in front of me, as if he were protecting me. I looked at Edward, wishing he'd stop, and feeling suddenly annoyed with him. "Edward, what are you trying to prove?" I asked in a calm, normal tone. I knew he could hear me, even though any human that stood so far away never would be able to. "Do you think that I don't love you? That I would honestly consider… being mates with this guy?" I asked, pointing to Caius. "Do you really doubt me that much?"

Edward's face softened. "It isn't that, Bella," he said quickly, trying to save his own skin. "I know you love me, but…"

"But what, Edward?"

He winced. "I just…"

"What?"

"Edward, let it go!"

Everyone turned back in the direction of the Cullen house. I saw two figures standing at the edge of the trees. A second later, they were in the middle of the Cullen family. I recognized them instantly, but Aro greeted them first. "Alice! Jasper!"

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! Remember that if you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, follow and favorite! :D


	3. Chapter 3

_Forever Dawn - Chapter Three_

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This chapter has actually been done for a while.

XD

Sorry for the delay.

Let's get on with it, shall we?

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**Chapter Three**

The pair strode confidently across the clearing, hand in hand. Their legs moved in unison and at the same, brisk pace. They were certainly a sight to behold. When I was human, and even now, I longed for a relationship like theirs. Edward and I were happy together—most of the time—but even then, I wished I had someone like Jasper. Edward was just as loving and protective, but I detected a coldness… an almost hesitation with me. He always seemed afraid to declare that I was his, or was afraid that he would hurt me even though I was much stronger than him.

It made no sense.

When I was human, I would have argued with him, or confronted him about it, which is odd. You'd think that I would be more open and bolder as a vampire, but I was the exact opposite. As a vampire, I was more reserved, and kept a lot of things to myself. Many things Edward did annoyed me, and I began to realize that he wasn't as perfect as I thought he was. He didn't dazzle me like he had before. I saw his faults; they weren't exactly physical, but he definitely had a lot of emotional hang-ups. However, all these new thoughts only came to me as I stood in the clearing with the Volturi. Back in the house when I had looked at Edward, I had seen no fault inside him… but now things were different. In fact, a lot of things and my perception of them had changed in the short amount of time since I had locked eyes with Caius Volturi.

What the hell was going on?

When Alice and Jasper reached us, they both looked right at Edward. "Edward, stop it. There's nothing you can do. It's going to happen. I've seen it."

"WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON?!" I shrieked, throwing my hands up in the air for dramatic effect.

Alice turned toward me for a moment, her golden eyes shining with affection. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, Bella!"

"What the hell for?!"

"You've finally found your true mate: Caius?"

"Wait so these old coots were serious?" I demanded, gesturing towards Aro and Marcus.

"'Old coots'?" Aro repeated again, looking to Marcus as if the other vampire could explain the expression.

Alice took a deep breath. "Yes… Jasper and I were visiting the Tacuna tribes of Brazil when I got a vision of the two of you," she said. She looked from me to Caius with a happy smile as if we had just announced that we were going to be married.

I looked toward Caius, wondering what he thought about all of this. He looked absolutely livid, and glared at Alice, a snarl on his face. Then, he looked at me, and the anger evaporated in seconds. He gazed at me with a peculiar look in his eyes. I stared back, my entire body yearning to touch him. I walked toward him with no fear, and placed a hand on his cheek.

He didn't shrink away.

Instead, he placed on hand on my waist, and cupped my cheek in the other. We were both mesmerized and captivated by the other. It was… so surreal. The crimson eyes that I had once found revolting were now the most welcoming and comforting sight I'd ever seen. I could get lost in them and be perfectly content. I had once been terrified of this man—I had once hated him, and now I had no idea why. I didn't even know him, so why did I hate him? However, the same logic can be used to challenge why I loved him, too.

What the hell was going on?

"Bella!" Edward's voice broke me from my daze. I suddenly realized that I had my hand on Caius's face, and he had a hand on my waist and on my face.

What the hell was going on!?

I backed away from Caius, and I thought I saw pain flash in his eyes. Even the thought of that ever occurring caused me physical pain. I wanted to say something to make him feel better, but Caius looked at my husband, his hateful look and curled lips returning. I backed further away, toward Alice. "I don't like this… at all," I whispered.

"You should be happy," Alice chastised gently. "Caius is your mate."

"No. He's not," I persisted. A part of me wanted to hate him for making me feel like this—so helpless to his enchantment—but there was another part, one that was more dominant, that wanted to love him as much as physically and emotionally possible. "I love Edward! I married him! I had his child! We were meant to be together." I looked at the man I called my husband. Once, I would have melted under his intense stare, but now, I was somewhat repulsed by it.

That had never, ever happened before.

Why now?

I knew why, but I refused to admit it.

Edward smiled, looking rather relieved. "See, Alice? You were wrong! Bella still loves me." Edward quickly closed the distance between us and pulled me in arms.

"Edward, did you seriously not see the very intimate moment Caius and Bella just shared?" Alice demanded. She sounded exasperated, and shot me a disapproving look every now and then. I didn't look at Caius. I couldn't.

"Bella would never do that if she was in control of herself! Clearly one of the Volturi guard used their power to draw her toward him! It's like what Bella said: a Volturi trick!" Edward replied, sounding almost smug. I couldn't help but wince as he recited the very words I had told my daughter. Nevertheless, I put on a brave face and rested my head on Edward's chest, but was filled with utter repulsion.

I wanted Caius.

And judging by the growls that came from his direction, he wanted me too.

"Bella, I can feel how disgusted you are," Jasper said simply. He sounded almost tired as if I were demonstrating some kind of false pretense. "How long are you going to deny this?"

I rounded on the blond haired, southern vampire. "Edward and I have been through more than you know! You think that I'm just going to turn on him now, and go run off with some… some… tyrannical vampire warlord?!"

"Warlord?" Aro snickered, but I ignored him.

Edward's took my hand in his and looked at Caius smugly while I still refused to look at the gorgeous light-haired man. Even though I spoke about him with such harshness in my voice, I didn't truly feel that way. My body yearned to be next to him, and I knew that if I looked at him, I would not be able to help myself from rushing towards him and throwing my arms around his perfectly-toned body.

I couldn't take it anymore; I needed to be on neutral ground. My heart didn't want to be anywhere near Edward, and my brain didn't want to be anywhere near Caius. There was only one person I knew I could go to—one person I knew that I could be comfortable around.

Without giving any explanation, I left Edward's side and strode across the clearing toward my daughter. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, and chose to ignore them. I never envied Edward's ability to read minds, and, at that moment, I don't think I'd ever been more grateful to not be able to hear what everyone else was thinking about me, and this situation.

When I reached her, Renesmee timidly left Jacob's side and wrapped her arms around my waist in a welcoming hug. I knelt down beside her and pulled her close to me. Neither of us said anything. We didn't need to.

"If what you say is true," Carlisle began, trying to break the awkward silence that had descended upon the clearing. For the first time in all the time I had known him, I heard Carlisle's voice falter and crack with uncertainty. "Why did Marcus not sense this bond when Bella was in last spring?"

"I did not sense it then," Marcus answered in a tired, exasperated voice. "Being reunited, Bella and Edward's bond was stronger than ever. Their love was radiating off them in tidal waves. Caius was too focused on figuring out a way to kill the Cullen boy, and Bella was too absorbed with being back with the man she loved. However, the largest reason is that Bella and Caius never once made eye contact. They might have only glanced at each other once or twice, and it was never direct eye contact. They never truly looked at each other."

I let Renesmee go and stood. She looked up at me with worried, dark brown eyes before looking back toward the Volturi. I turned to face them as well, but focused on Alice and Jasper instead of Edward or Caius. I didn't want to look at the prior, and I didn't trust myself enough to even glance at the latter.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Vladimir of the Romanian coven snarled. "Is the half-breed to be destroyed, or not?"

Aro straightened up and puffed out his chest slightly, not enough to be considered comical. Edward had once told me of the bitter rivalry between the Volturi and the Romanians. Even though the Volturi had defeated them, they still hated and refused to be insulted by their old enemies. They left Vladimir and Stefan alive so that they would be witnesses to their supreme power and ability to annihilate, but I think that in the end, they regretted that decision. "Well, Vladimir," Aro said, his voice laced with animosity. "It is clear now that no rule has been broken… but how can we be sure that there is no danger here?"

A low growl escaped my throat as I pulled Renesmee closer. Growling was still an alien action for me, and I never did it intentionally. It just sort of… happened.

Caius seemed just as infuriated by Aro's words as I did. "Are you mad, brother?" he hissed. "Why should we stay here a moment longer?! It's clear that the law has not been broken—let's just get out of this aggravating place!"

For some reason, his words caused me pain. My chest ached at the thought of him leaving, and venom brimmed in my eyes at the thought of him considering me to be a part of this "aggravating" place. I squeezed my daughter's hand in an effort to hide this pain.

"I have proof that the child will not endanger us," Alice told Aro simply. She glanced from Edward to the Volturi leader. I'd never seen my adoptive sister look so unsure of herself in my life. It terrified me.

Aro raised his head to acknowledge her, but I could see the annoyance in the gesture. "I am certain that you do, dear Alice… Yet, I fear that there are some things that you have not foreseen, or cannot foresee… However, I think that we—as a coven—would be willing to make a small… bargain with you. I will take your word, dear Alice, that the child will not endanger our kind, if you give us something in return."

"What exactly do you want?" Carlisle asked. I could hear the wariness in his tone that mimicked all of ours.

Aro got a sick, devilish smile on his face. "I want young Isabella to join us."

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